My day job is owner of Weber Marketing.
My role is to help clients fill marketing resource gaps. Some clients want help developing and implementing a comprehensive marketing strategy; others have a specific project need, like a website. Some clients have worked with me for a decade plus, while others just needed me to fill in on a temporary basis, for instance while they hire new marketing staff.
I’m able to play these roles because of the diverse background and skill set I bring to every assignment.
I’ve worked in a marketing department at a business and understand the needs and challenges people face on the client end. I’ve been an account executive at an agency. And I’ve handled project management in a number of roles.
Having worked on both sides of the fence, I understand what it takes to set a project up for success, both with the client and the creative team. I’m confident in my ability to help a client understand how critical it is for them to be an active participant in a project—after all, they’re our subject matter expert. And I know what my creative team needs to hit the ground running, and how to make sure they get it. It’s a partnership, driven by commitment and respect.
Maybe the most critical thing I bring to these relationships is my experience as a small business owner. I know what it’s like to rely on yourself to figure things out and build a business. And it’s exciting to apply those insights to help others.
My current caffeine of choice is straight up black and in a to-go cup. I like my coffee very hot and it doesn’t really stay hot in a mug.
My most memorable caffeine would be something I enjoyed on a trip. When I travel, I really like experiencing the local coffee—how it’s brewed or the local style. That’s included the coffee I had in England when visiting my best friend from college and the coffee I drank when I was celebrating my 40th birthday with friends at Jackson Hole one morning while I was enjoying the view of the mountains. It’s sort of like having the specialized cocktail that an area is known for. I usually bring coffee back from my travels—this morning I had coffee from South Carolina.
My favorite place for caffeine is more based on whom I’m having coffee with—it’s really about the companion and the conversation, not the place or the coffee. For instance, my daughter really likes to go to Panera, so that’s where I typically head with her. I do like to get to Java Cat when I’m in Monona.
The people I’d love to share a cup of caffeine with are my childhood girlfriends. We’ve all scattered geographically, and it would be wonderful to get them all together. Whenever we’ve had the chance, we’ve been able to pick up right where we left off.
I will also add that I’ve always wanted to have a beer with Brett Favre!
World problem that could be solved with the right amount of caffeine: The lack of confidence we sometimes feel in ourselves. Really, it’s not a particular skill set or lack of knowledge that holds us back in life, it’s our own confidence. Your confidence is what pushes you ahead or holds you back.
Wouldn’t it be great if that sip of coffee every morning was 500 mg of daily confidence? Imagine what our day would be like.